In Mexico's Countryside, Machismo on Wane

Immigration Reshapes Rural Traditions, as Women Assume Roles Once Reserved for Men

By

Jean Guerrero

June 6, 2012 7:20 p.m. ET

SIERRA MAZATECA, Mexico—Every year for the past decade, 200,000 Mexican men have left for the U.S.

The result has been a steady reshaping of everyday culture around those left behind—usually forcing women to become breadwinners. And as the shift deepens, it is upending one of the long-standing cultural pillars here: the Mexican cult of machismo.

When coffee prices plunged more than a decade ago, Leonor Fernández's partner...